Empire #6

The final issue of DC's mature-readers series Empire closes out with a cover by Barry Kitson that commands immediate attention: a green-skinned armored conqueror looms in the foreground, red cape billowing over a field of fallen bodies, his gauntleted fist crackling with eerie green energy. Floating above him in the darkness are the faces of several figures — allies, adversaries, or pawns — watching with expressions ranging from cold resolve to barely contained fury. Mark Waid and Barry Kitson's 2004 series has always asked what the world looks like when the villain wins, and this striking image suggests the answer involves both overwhelming power and deeply personal stakes.